Tripp Lite SMART1500LCD UPS

Since it is easier for most people to purchase a battery backup solution than it is to learn the good habit of frequently saving your work, it makes perfect sense to pair a computer system to a decent UPS. In fact, one day it may make as much sense to pair these two items together as much as it does to have a keyboard and mouse. But what exactly determines how a battery backup qualifies as a "decent" uninterruptible power source?

Nothing is worse than losing power while working on the computer. Even if you are playing a video game, it still warrants the cursing that follows after a total power loss kills your playtime. You don't have to be a business person or computer enthusiast to reap the benefits of working though a power out.

Tripp Lite markets the SMART1500LCD as the rack-ready battery backup solution from their SmartPro Digital UPS line of products. They claim that this 1500VA 900W line-interactive UPS for personal computers, workstations, home entertainment systems and media centers will offer enough protection to corrects brownouts as low as 75V and overvoltages to 147V back to 120V nominal levels. Overall it seems very promising, but Benchmark Reviews will have to test their marketing mettle before we buy into it.

• LCD display indicates input voltage, battery capacity and a variety of operating conditions
• 1500VA line-interactive 2U rackmount shelf/tower UPS system
• 8 UPS-supported AC outlets, dataline surge suppression for tel/DSL or network Ethernet line
• DB9 serial and USB port with HID protocol support and complete cabling
• Corrects brownouts as low as 75V and overvoltages to 147V back to 120V nominal levels
• $250,000 Ultimate Lifetime Insurance (USA & Canada only)

About Tripp Lite (Trippe Manufacturing Company)

In 1922, Graham Trippe, a Chicago-area inventor, obtained a patent for a new precision-focused automobile headlight. This unique design won the gold medal at both the 1928 and 1929 Paris Exposition of Innovation. The Trippe "Speed Light" soon became a successful automotive accessory, improving visibility on everything from fine touring cars to U.S. Army tanks during World War II.

As sealed-beam headlights became standard equipment on post-war vehicles, Trippe Manufacturing Company expanded into the production of rotating warning lights. These were sold to many different businesses as well as the police, fire and ambulance markets. To this day, Tri-Lite, the sister company of Tripp Lite, continues to manufacture industrial and specialty lighting products for shipment around the world.

Addressing a newfound need for on-board AC power in ambulances and recreational vehicles, Tripp Lite developed a line of DC-to-AC inverters in the early 1960s. Over the next 20 years, Tripp Lite grew to become the best known manufacturer of portable inverters in the world-providing portable power for everything from RVs to alternative energy applications.

By 1980, the advent of the personal computer had created a need for battery backup AC power to prevent data loss or hardware damage to computers and other sensitive microprocessor-controlled devices. By integrating their proven inverter technology with a battery charger and transfer switch, Tripp Lite became the first company to manufacture a UPS system specifically designed for desktop PCs. Coupled with the introduction of the Isobar Premium Surge Suppressor in 1982, Tripp Lite was uniquely positioned to supply the burgeoning computer market with high quality power protection equipment.

As the personal computer became an increasingly important business tool, power protection from Tripp Lite became recognized as an essential add-on to computer installations. 16 million Isobars and more than 4 million UPS systems later, Tripp Lite remains the leading manufacturer of power protection supplies, including UPS systems, surge suppressors, notebook accessories, line conditioners, cabling and connectivity products and network management accessories. In 1999, Tripp Lite became the exclusive licensee for IBM-brand UPS systems. Tripp Lite quality products provide increased reliability and protection to PC workstations, network file servers, telephone systems, point-of-sale terminals, audio/video systems and laboratory equipment. Tripp Lite recently received ISO 9001 certification for the highest standard of design, manufacturing, distribution, marketing and service excellence. Eighty-five years after it began, the Tripp Lite marketing effort now spans the globe with shipments to more than eighty different countries worldwide.

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